Wichita eagle., 1887-05-14
ANARCHY IN THE UNITED STATES
To the Editor OF the Eagle.

To the Editor OF the Eagle.
A great many people are alarmed at
w hat they consider the growth of anarchy
in the larger cities of this country. That
any large number Of people should be
found in this country who are hostile to
our institutions is viewed not only with
alarm, but an indignation that portends a
sanguinary contest fearful to contemplate
should the anarchist ever become strong
enough to seriously threaten the destruc-
ton of our government. Equality before
the law is justice to all. A government
that protects equally the person and prop
erty of every citizen will accom-
plish all the purposes for which a gov
eminent should be allowed to exist.
Human life is Of greater Importance to the
citizen than property. Hence govern
ment that has only protected life has more
right to exist than the government which
has only protected property. Now while
this is true it may be as truthfully said that
good government must protect the life of
its citizens at the risk of all the property in
it, and must protec. the property of its citi-
zens at the risk Of great destruction of
human life. The man who struggles for a
mere subsistence is sure to conclude that
his life and the means of supporting it are
of more importance than the property of the
millionaire. While the millionaire is
liable to conclude that the protection Of his
property by the government is of more i'm
portance than the life of a poor citizen,
whom, in order to show the unimportance
of his existence the rich man will proba
bly, denominate tramp. The representa-
tives of these two classes are the only ele
ments in this country that are at all likely
to come to conflict. The scarcity of
their numbers, and their distance apart
caused by millioes of small holders of prop
erty occupying the intervening space rem
der a conflict while possible, hardly proba-
bic As the great middle classes in Eng
land are said to be the guardians of
the poor and at the same
time the solid rock upon which rests the
aristacracy of that country, SO are the
millions of small property holders in this
country capable of taking care Of the
anarchist, but they are the power that will
protect this government from assault, from
whatever source it may come. The an
archist element in this country have been
able to alarm many people by magnifying
their numbers. A few of them are able to
work their way into the labor organizations,
where they inculcate their pernicious doc
trims. Many people are led to believe
the entire organizations to which
these men belong have gone
over to the anarchist party. Nothing is
more untrue. The great mass of laboring
men in this country are our most loyal citi-
zens and will not suffer themselves to be
led into hostility to our institutions 1t is
frequently claimed that the situation at
Chicago reveals the fact that the condemn
ed anarchists at that place have large fol
lowing and that their execution will lead
to trouble in that city. There is no deny
ing the fact that very large number of
people throughout the country are opposed
to their execution. This opposition
is divided into three classes: The
first and largest class consists of those
who do not believe the evidence to have
been sufficient to convict the anarchists Of
the offense for which they were tried, the
murder Of the policemen. The second
class are those who believe they were con-
victed for principle. That is on the
ground that the legitimate teaching of
these men led to the murder Of the police
men even if they were not directly engaged
in it. These second class while they may
care nothing for the truth or falsity of the
doctrines taught claim it as very danger
Gus precedent to establish This sort Of
precedent they claim would hang every
knight of labor in America should their
teachings lead to strike in which some
one should loose his life. 1t would
also have brought to the scaffold every
aDolltionlSt IN the land, aud every Demo f,
crat who was in any way responsible for
the teaching of the states rights doctrine
The third class, insignificant in numbers,
are the real anarchists of the country. |
These are the only people in this country
who think the murderers Of the policemen
at Chicago should not be punished. There
is no need to be alarmed for the safety of |
our government. There is not one person
in a thousand in the United States today |
that are in favor of anarchy.
a KNIGHT OF LABOR.
SHOUTING STAFFORD.
To the Editor Of the Eagle.